“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle”- Albert Einstein

Okay now that you know how to label negative emotions what do you do with it? You may be thinking, “didn’t you just tell me to “sit” with it?” YES! But what do you do if you’re beginning to ruminate?... Or maybe you find yourself being the perpetual Debby Downer in your life. Not to fear! NOT TO FEAR! We at bestme.com have some solutions to reframe that negative thinking.

How does reframing negative emotions increase overall happiness?

Cognitive Reframing

The Psychological Immune System the fallacy of Affective Forecasting

How can I reframe negative emotions?

Are there tools that can help me reframe negative emotions?

How does reframing negative emotions increase overall happiness?

Our brain has synapses that are constantly firing, and the more we learn the stronger these connections and firing become (ie. brain mapping). So it makes sense that when we think negatively, we are actually training our brain to highlight the negative aspects of life. When we begin to think of the positives, practice gratitude and re-evaluate these situations that we may initially deem negative, we retrain our brains to look at all the good things in life.

Cognitive Reframing

Cognitive reframing is a way to view events, emotions or circumstances in a different light and specifically, restructering, interrupts any negative thought cycles that might be taking place.

A common type of therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy

The Psychological Immune System the fallacy of Affective Forecasting

Most humans when they get sick, rebound and eventually feel better. The human psyche is similar. No matter how traumatic an event, after 6 months or so, you’re body will naturally rebound back to how it used to be. Now this does not mean the pain or trauma is not real, but the body has a way of readjusting. Most people are unaware of this ability, in fact researchers William and Matthew Lieberman did a study in which participants were surveyed on their predicted emotions after a negative situation (ie. being stood up by a date or encountering someone breaking into your gym locker). Most predicted that intense negative emotions would last longer than emotions caused by lense intense experiences. However, when participants went through an experience that they had rated as extremely negative, their feelings of discomfort and upset passed more quickly than a less intense negative experience (1).